Post navigation

Keeping warm… while staying green.

Mother Nature has been furious lately. It’s been cold, blustery, snowy and frightful all around the country. Even southern states canceled school because of a quarter inch of the white stuff!

The downside (aside from the obvious) is that it’s giving all global-warming/climate change naysayers fuel and ammo for saying that “it” doesn’t exist. I will leave that portion of the conversation out of this post and it will have to suffice to say that climate change creates the EXTREMES!… whether it be sweltering or freezing, blizzards or severe drought… THAT is the effect it creates.

Anyhow, it’s also fairly likely that furnaces are being cranked up all around the country as well. That in turn means extra energy consumption which snowballs into a lot of extra pollution too.

So, keep these tips in mind for keeping warm… while staying green:

Actually USE storm windows – make the time to install that extra layer of glass and it’s like you have triple panes. It can increase energy efficiency by up to 45%!

Adjust the thermostat – just one degree lower in the winter can save 3% on your usage. That adds up!

Close the damper on your fireplace – leaving it open is equivalent to leaving a 48 inch window wide open in your home all winter long! This can amount to hundreds of dollars in heat loss in a season. Also consider glass doors on your fireplace as opposed to screens.

Cover floors – hardwood and ceramic look fantastic but they actually cool a room. Add area rugs, even if only temporarily.

Do the “feel test” – feel around windows and doors. If you feel the cold coming in, the heat is also going out. Buy some weather stripping and put a rolled towel at the bottom of drafty doors.

Give your furnace a “check-up” – just like anything else, they sometimes need a little fine-tuning to run most efficiently.

Give ventilation fans some time off – a kitchen or bathroom vent fan can expel enough warm air to fill a whole house in only ONE hour!

Heat only the rooms you use – shut the door, close and seal the vent and stop heating vacant rooms.

Insulate, insulate, insulate – if you can afford one improvement, add insulation. The heat that escapes due to lacking or improperly installed insulation is outrageous! (This one qualifies for tax credits too!)

Open blinds and curtains in the daytime and close them at night – the sunlight can help warm our home and covering windows in the evening can help insulate them.

Properly seal ducts – statistics say that up to 30% of heat can be lost through improperly sealed duct work!

Replace your air filter and clean vents and ducts – too much build-up prevents the heat from even reaching your rooms.

Reverse ceiling fans – heat rises, so run them on low in reverse and bring the warm air that rises back down to where it’s needed.

Turn down the thermostat when you’re away from home for an extended period or during overnight hours – if you have a programmable thermostat, put it to work.

So “fight the freezies” and “battle the brrrr”, but just make sure to “check the checklist” to keep it green. And if all else fails to keep you toasty enough, grab your favorite sweater and snuggle up! (A bottle of nice organic wine does wonders too!)

"Going green" has always been a part of my daily life. It began, as a little girl, when I helped my mom gather the recyclables and deliver them to a recycling center. It continues today, as a mom myself, when I teach my own children those same responsible virtues.

There are so many more facets of going green in the modern day, and the definition of the term reaches far beyond simple recycling. But going green isn't just about installing solar panels on your rooftop... it's about all the little choices that make the biggest difference. From food choices, to cleaning your home, to saving money on your monthly utility bills and consumption; the choices are vast.

However, there is a popular misconception that "going green" will "cost you green." We're inundated with green products, eco-friendly formulas, organics and mountains of options, making it seem that going green is an investment rather than an opportunity.

Well, I'm here to help dispel that myth and actually show you all of the ways you can live green, keep your family healthy, and benefit the environment without sacrificing anything, including your money.

When you make wise choices to gain the most benefit, relieve the burden on the environment, and save money to use elsewhere, everyone wins. You've already taken the first step. You've come here for help to make it happen.

Put these tips into action, and you will soon find that you can "save green" while you "go green"!

About Mom Goes Green

I'm not perfect. My life is far from being as green as I would like it to be, but I’m trying…and I’m learning. I just want to leave this world knowing that I did all I could manage to do. This blog will be my journey…both the good and the bad, mistakes included. Click here to read more...